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Forget the sushi! Anyone for sake and spaghetti? Or a burger and sake?

Sake is going mainstream – its popularity is growing and so too offerings. How about some Demon Slayer, Wandering Poet or a Cabin in the Snow with that side of pork belly?

Sake is suddenly everywhere! ”With the boom of Japanese restaurants, more sake brands have become available. And Japanese restaurants aren’t the only ones getting in on the sake fun. I know many non-Japanese restaurants that are adding sake to their beverage lists,” says sake sommelier of Ki Modern Japanese + Bar, Michael Tremblay, whose favourite is Demon Slayer, officially known as Onikoroshi.

The beauty of sake is its versatility. Mixologists are playing with sake in their cocktails and you can even cook with it, says Tremblay, who also loves to sip on Soul of the Sensei and Eau de Desir. You can taste his excitement at the upcoming 4th Annual Kampai Toronto Festival of Sake. Taste more than 140 sake paired with appetizers from a dozen top restaurants on May 28. “Kampai is held in the Distillery District’s Fermenting Cellar which has a fabulous vibe. Besides the fantastic food and sake, there are taiko drums and countless sake ambassadors from Japan and North America.”

Say cheers to sake. There is a sake for every different taste, touts Tremblay. “Whether you like sweet, fruity, dry, sparkling, fruit-infused, warm, chilled, the list goes on… there truly is a sake for everyone!” Sake is a chameleon of sorts, he adds.

There are endless grades, styles, serving temperatures, ways of enjoying it, and characteristics. “The possibilities are endless.” It pairs nicely with everything from delicate dishes to richer dishes like braised pork belly, adds Tremblay, who was introduced to sake seven years ago and “fell in love instantly. Its versatility, the culture and the enthusiastic reactions from our guests told me I had been introduced to something special.”

Tremblay has undergone extensive training and is now a highly-acclaimed sake guru - he just returned from London, England where he judged the finest sakes in the prestigious International Wine Challenge, which featured more than 800 sake entries. As Ki’s national sake sommelier, he curates and maintains an extensive sake list, travelling the world to source new sake to complement the 65 selections on Ki’s menu.

Prior to becoming an expert sake sipper, Tremblay worked as a composer – “I still enjoy writing music in my spare time with my best friend, Broadway star Paul Nolan.” He is vice president of education and knowledge for the Sake Institute of Ontario and this month he started teaching Canada’s first ever sake course at Toronto’s IWEG Drinks academy.

Being a sake expert brings about many pleasures: “Most people are quite curious and intrigued: Curious as to what a sake sommelier is, and intrigued to try sake after I talk their ear off about it! My friends tend to live vicariously through my trips to Japan and I always bring home some fresh sake to share.”

Tips for the perfect sip courtesy of Michael Tremblay

Bring out your inner samurai and drink sake in a little ochoko (ceramic cup) and have fun pouring for one another, says Michael Tremblay. “Never pour for yourself though.”

Drink it in a wine glass and swirl it, nose it and taste it like a vino.